


Giovanni Cupid Gilberti

by DanieXJ



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-28
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2017-12-24 23:22:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/945895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanieXJ/pseuds/DanieXJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giovanni gets some information that surprises him and he decides to take matters into his own hands to fix what he sees as wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This just popped into my head. I'm still working on all the other stuff as well, it's just hard going on those stories. This one will be a short one though.

“Wait, whaddya mean they’ah not a couple. They said they’ah were LLBFFs… or somethin’. They were huggin’ and canoodlin’ and stuff.”

Korsak shrugged, “I’m sorry Giovanni… they’re good friends, but not partners or lovers.”

Giovanni was uncharacteristically silent, “She lied to me? The hawt doctah-- does she have a boyfriend?”

“Sort of.” Korsak paused and looked over his shoulder, “So does Jane, sort of--”

Giovanni’s brows contracted, “Sorta ain’t really-- you sure, wicked sure Vin?” Korsak nodded, “Well, we gotta do somethin’ then.”

Korsak frowned, “Do something?”

Giovanni finished off his spaghetti with a bit of a slurp and nodded, “You betcha. They’ah hawt… togethah and I just gotta a feelin’. Ya know?”

“Ah… no?”

Giovanni stood with a smirk, “Just call me Giovanni Cupid Gilberti. Leave it all to me--”

With that Giovanni left the cafe and Korsak winced, “That won’t be good.”

Angela appeared out of thin air. “What did Giovanni do now Vince?”

Korsak happily held his cup up for a refill, which Angela gave him. “Not did, but will do. He wants to get Jane and Maura together.”

Angela frowned, “Isn’t Jane dating Casey and Maura with BT?”

Korsak looked over at Angela, “That’s your question Angela?”

Angela shrugged, “If she’s happy. I’ve lived through my son in jail and divorcing my no good cheating husband…”

Korsak put a hand on Angela’s, “Not to mention working too hard to pay off that ex-husband’s taxes? Angela…”

Angela gave Korsak’s hand a pat, “I’m okay Vince. Really. As I was saying. If Giovanni can do it… I wouldn’t complain. I love Maura. I’d be happy that they found each other. Wouldn’t you?”

She left Korsak alone, deep in thought.

oOOOOo

Giovanni clapped Tommy Rizzoli so hard on the back that little TJ who was in Tommy’s arms let out a burp. “Whoa-- there he blows huh?”

Tommy winced, “You called, I’m here, what do you need Giovanni?”

Giovanni looked out the open bay door of his garage, “I need ya to do me a solid Tommy boy. I need to borrow the pipsqueak.”

“Borrow the-- TJ? Giovanni, why the hell?” Tommy wrapped his arms around his son just a bit tighter.

“Gonna have Maur-- and Janie babysit, then they’ll figuah it all out.”

Tommy frowned, “Figure?”

Giovanni nodded, “That they love each other.”

Tommy still looked confused, “They’re friends so--”

Giovanni cut Tommy off, “Nah, I mean like they’ah hawt for each othah.”

Tommy said nothing, just stood there for a long moment. Finally he shook his head, “It won’t work, they’ve watched him more than once and nothing happened.”

Giovanni made a hmmm noise. “So, we gotta do somethin’ else then. We could murder someone?”

Tommy took a step back, “C’mon now Giovanni, that’s not even funny.”

“Yeah, sorry. Bad idea. But there’s gotta be somethin’ we can do.”

Tommy thought for a moment, “Do you know more than just car mechanical stuff?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Jane, is your mother okay? She seems more tired than usual.” Maura took the coffee that Jane handed her as they both got on the empty elevator.

“I’ve tried to talk to her. It’s something, I know, I just can’t get her to tell me what.”

They both stumbled a bit as the elevator ground to a halt and the main lights went out. After a brief pause the emergency lights came on, barely lighting the elevator car, and the two friends looked at each other. “Dead body in the mechanical room?” Maura shook her head, but Jane spoke with a slight smile before Maura could, “You don’t like to speculate. So… my mother. What should we do about her?”

“That depends entirely on if it’s a financial or a life problem.”

Jane blew out a breath, “God, I bet it’s my Dad, he’s such a--”

Maura cut Jane off, “No matter what he is he’s still your Dad Jane.”

Jane took a sip of her coffee, “Oh, I know and I love him. But he’s hurt Ma so much. I feel like if I see him again too soon I’ll punch him in the nose.”

“Jane… that’s a very violent impulse.”

Jane emptied her coffee cup, “I’d punch someone for you if they needed it too.” She paused, “Or is that-- BT’s job now?”

“BT and I…” Maura stared down at her cup, “We’re exploring all our options.”

Jane made a face, “Did he break up with you.” She held up her hand in a fist. “It’s ready to go if you need it.”

Maura wrapped her free hand around Jane’s fist and lowered it, “No… Thank you, but, No. We were-- too alike. Apparently that is not always advantageous to a relationship.” She looked around, “Should we call someone?”

Jane shook her head, “This is an old building. They’ll get us going again. And, hey, he didn’t try to kill you, so… well, yet.”

Maura smiled, Jane could always make her smile, “Yes. He has not tried to murder me. How are you and Casey doing?”

That gave Jane pause and she fell silent as she leaned against the back of the elevator. “I don’t think that he wants to come home. I think that maybe-- I mean, of course it wasn’t gonna last, he was a High School thing that I thought…”

Maura put an arm around Jane and gave a squeeze, “You wanted to be loved.”

“Yeah, stupid huh?”

Maura shook her head, “Not at all. Perhaps that’s why I’ve gotten into these relationships as well. Quite a pair we are.”

Jane smiled, then it turned into a frown, “Do you smell fire?”

oOOOOo

“Giovanni? What are you doing here?”

“Uhh…” He and Frankie stepped back as firefighters came stomping in. "What's goin' on?"

Frankie looked tense, “My sister and Maura are in the elevator, where there’s apparently a fire as well.”

Giovanni looked worried, “Whoa… that’s…”

Frankie put his finger in Giovanni’s face, “So help me man, if you say hot.”

“Bad, wicked bad.” He pointed towards the front door, “I should go, or--”

Frankie put a hand on Giovanni’s shoulder, “Can you stay? Distract my Ma?”

Giovanni glanced towards the elevator, and back to Frankie, “Yeah, I guess-- okay… Thank she’ll have somethin’ to eat?”

Frankie shook his head, “For you Giovanni, yeah, probably.”

oOOOOo

“Vince, Sean, just tell me. One at a time.”

Both the older men started talking together again. It was Giovanni who swooped in, saved her sanity, “Hey, most gorgeous Rizzoli, you got somethin’ back there I’d like? I’m starvin’.”

Angela sighed, “Giovanni, my daughter and Ma…”

Giovanni put a hand up, “I know, I know… that’s why I’m here, to distract ya while these two gentlemen go bug the shi--”

“Giovanni… language.”

“Ah… bug the snot outta those runnin’ everything and see if they’ah okay.”

The two men paused, then nodded. Both put a hand on one of Angela’s arms and then left the cafe. “Thank you Giovanni.”

“Course Mrs. Rizzoli.”

“How about Ms. Do you think that’ll work for me?”

“Most definitely Ms. Rizzoli. Ya know, Mr. Rizzoli is an idiot.”

Angela smiled just a little, “So, something to eat?” Giovanni nodded and Angela leaned over and gave Giovanni a kiss on the side of his head, “Thank you Giovanni.”

oOOOOo

The firemen spoke to the two gaggle of homicide detectives and Maura as his men got their stuff together. “Yeah, looked like some mechanical failure caused friction. Friction to fire…”

Jane nodded, “Fire-- smoke. Got it. Thanks guys for saving our bacon.”

The firefighter gave a tip of his helmet, “Always happy to help the BPD, especially as pretty a BPD as you are.”

Jane chuckled, “Yeah, yeah, so says Mr. July.”

The firefighter smiled, “Touche Rizzoli. So… when are you and the rest of these good for nothings gonna do a calendar.”

“Probably right after hell freezes over.”

The firefighter laughed and went to join his men. The other detectives dispersed as well, leaving Maura and Jane alone. “We should go check on Ma. Let her know we’re alive.”

Maura shook her head, “You go, I have…”

Jane gently cut Maura off, “She won’t believe me. She’ll just worry ‘til she sees with her own eyes that you’re okay.” Jane threaded her arm through Maura’s, “C’mon, it’ll just take a second.”

Maura let herself be led towards the cafe.

oOOOOo

Giovanni looked up as Maura and Jane came in. “Janie… you survived.”

Angela rushed over to the two women and engulfed them both in a hug. “Oh, thank the Lord. Jane, Maura, don’t ever scare me like that again.”

Jane made a bit of a face, “Ah, Ma… I didn’t really have a choice.”

“Shush now. Sit down and I’ll get you a muffin.”

Maura opened her mouth to accept, but Jane beat her to it, “Ma. I’m alive. Maura’s alive. We’re fine, and we have work to do. I’ll come by later on my break. We don’t have time for muffins.”

Giovanni smirked, “Isn’t there always time for muffins.” He paused for a moment, then threw his head back, laughing and laughing.

Maura and Jane shared a look, wondering what he was going to say next, and while they were looking at each other Giovanni jerked forward just a bit, and his red sauce wound up all over Maura’s blouse.

“Giovanni…”

Giovanni put both his hands up, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I can get it….”

Maura took a step back, “No. No, it’s quite all right. Red sauce is not too difficult to remove.” She turned to Angela, “I-- thank you for worrying Angela, and I will take you up on that muffin sometime in the future, but, right now I do need to change out of this shirt and get back to work.”

Maura moved off, and Jane started to follow after her, only stopping to whack Giovanni on the back of the head as she went past.

Angela stayed by Giovanni’s table and studied him. “So, is this part of your plan?”

“Plan, what plan Ms. Rizzoli?”

Angela crossed her arms over her chest, “I know everything Giovanni. Especially when it comes to you. Spit it out.”

Giovanni glanced over his shoulder, then around the cafe, “Yeah, okay, yeah, it is. I mean, now she has to change into scrubs or whatever right. And those, I mean, have you seen that ER show, or that Anatomy show. Scrubs,” he smiled, “scrubs are hawt.”

oOOOOo

Giovanni sat in the Dirty Robber with a frown on his face, and he rarely frowned, it just went against something in him. He was alive, he was healthy, he had a job, little money for beer and such, life was good. He wanted Jane and Maura to feel that too. But, he didn’t know what to do. The elevator thing hadn’t worked, and apparently the scrubs thing hadn’t either.

Then, it came to him, like a bolt of lightning or some such thing. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, “Yo, I need your help man. You still got those specialty… yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. You sure that it’ll go through okay? No, you gotta be totally sure man, totally sure. Oh…” He frowned, “But you’ve cleansed it since then? Okay. Yeah, I’m at the dirty robber.” He paused, “Nah, down the street some. Yeah, it’s legal… thanks man, I owe you.”

oOOOOo

“No. Jane. Giovanni is not your responsibility.”

Jane shrugged and took a swig of her beer, “I know, but, we grew up, and I just… he spilled red sauce on your unpronounceable shirt.”

Maura smiled as she took a sip of her wine, “I have other unpronounceable shirts Jane.”

“Oh, I know, and shoes too. But, still… Oh… Giovanni, whaddya want now?.”

Giovanni said nothing, then in one quick move snapped a handcuff onto Jane’s right hand and Maura’s left and took a step backwards. “Giovanni, what the hell…”

Giovanni blew out a breath, held up a key, and swallowed it. After a bit of coughing he nodded. “There.”


	3. Chapter 3

“What the hell Gi--” Jane started to get up, but was pulled back down by the hand that was connected to Maura via the handcuffs., “Maura, in my right front pocket is a handcuff key, could you get it?”

Maura didn’t pause as she reached into the pocket and pulled out the key. She handed it to Jane, who tried unsuccessfully to use it once, then again, “Damnit Giovanni. What are you playing at?”

Giovanni shrugged, “The key’ll come out, Greg-o said so. Don’t worry.”

Jane stood again and Maura stood with her. “No… we’re going to get these cut off right now.”

Giovanni shook his head, “Ah, no, it’s somethin’ or othah special metal, gotta burn it off, but they’ah also closah than your average cuffs, so, you’d get all burned and shi… stuff. Hey, I left your left hand free.”

Both Jane and Maura’s phones went off. Maura handed Jane her and they both answered. “Rizzoli.”

“Isles.”

Jane sighed and nodded, “Yeah. Dead body. We’re…” She looked down at their handcuffed wrists. “..on our way.”

Jane hung up, followed closely by Maura. “We have a body.” Jane looked over at Giovanni. “Gi--”

Maura put a hand on Jane’s, “If all he says about the construction of the handcuffs is true and we can’t cut or otherwise get them off then, as long as the key makes it into the stomach and through his pylorus and ileocecal successfully it could be anywhere from six hours to three days before he passes it.”

Jane took a step towards Giovanni and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, “If you so much as make an absent minded move towards the toilet handle I will hunt you down and make sure you don’t crap into anything but a bag for at least a decade.”

Giovanni nodded quickly.

Jane waited perfectly still as Maura gathered her things and they left the bar. “Guess I’m driving, huh?”

“Yes, and while you’re doing that I’ll call my locksmith and see what he can do about our--”

“--situation. Thank you. Sorry about this--” Jane shook her head as she started her car, “I think there’s something profoundly wrong with Gi.”

oOOOOo

Angela glanced out of the window of the guest house with a frown. She’d thought Jane was staying at her own apartment. So that she could have her private chats with Casey while he was still in Afghanistan. She had nothing against the man, he was serious enough and a good man, but her mother’s intuition told her that he was totally and utterly wrong for her daughter.

She entered Maura’s house proper slightly after the two women. “Jane, Maura. Is everything alright?”

Jane mumbled something and Angela looked towards Maura, who translated. “I believe she indicated that she’s planning on killing Giovanni Gilberti.”

Angela sighed, “What did he do now?”

Jane held up held up their joined wrists as she took off her holster with her left hand. “This--” Angela was silent for a moment before she burst out laughing. “Yeah, thanks Ma.”

Angela finally got ahold of herself, “I’m sorry Jane, but… Will you two be alright?”

Maura nodded, “Yes Angela. We’ll adapt. Thank you.”

“I’m just…” She pointed to the guest house, “Right there. Goodnight.”

“Night Ma.”

“Goodnight Angela.”

And she was gone, leaving Maura and Jane alone. “I don’t think that I’ll ever live this down.”

Maura put her hand over their conjoined wrists. “Are you hungry?”

“No, just… tired. Oh, are you hungry? I’ll be okay, I’ll…”

Maura cut her off, “No, no, I was just…”

Jane smirked just a bit, “The Constance programmed part of you bubbling to the surface in your uncomfortableness. But, hey, we’ve passed out in the same bed before right?”

“That’s not really my…”

Jane gave Maura a gentle jerk towards the bedroom, bathroom area of her house. “C’mon, I’m betting you have your routine right and boy do I have to pe… oh… that’s what… oh, no.”

Maura winced and nodded, “As I told your mother. We’ll figure it out.”

oOOOOo

Giovanni lay in his own bed and stared up at the ceiling. All he wanted was for someone to appreciate him, maybe even love him. He knew he wasn’t the smartest or the best looking, or even the most charming, though he was at least top five in the world at the charming part.

So, his thought process was that if maybe Janie could finally get with her true love, and Giovanni was totally sure that it was Maura, maybe that meant that he had a chance at the crazy true love thing too.

He winced. It felt like someone had just kicked him in the guts, or like they were squeezing him and wouldn’t let go.

oOOOOo

Maura didn’t know what to do. Jane was having a nightmare. She was pretty sure that it was about Hoyt. Maura had heard Jane having them before of course, but Jane hadn’t been so close by, they’d been in different rooms. But with them cuffed together Maura didn’t know what to do, or if she should do anything. Jane was asleep on her left side, she’d thrashed herself into that position at some point.

Maura hated hunches, they usually made her break out, but, she was tired and she needed sleep so she wouldn’t make mistakes, and quite honestly she couldn’t bear to see Jane in so much psychological pain. She draped her arm, the one that was still attached to Jane’s wrist over Jane’s side and became, according to the colloquial saying, the big spoon.

Maura was more than a bit surprised when almost immediately Jane’s breathing evened out and her nightmare seemed to stop, or at least change to a less aggressive one.

She sighed and closed her eyes, her mind was still whirring, something that often kept her up at night. So, she put her brain to good use and wondered why Giovanni had handcuffed them together. He hadn’t done anything special after everything in the diner. He’d just gone home, the guy Jane had called had double checked that.

Why had he done it. She’d seen the look in his eyes when he’d snapped on the cuffs. His eyes had said that it hadn’t been a joke. But, had he done it with malicious intent? Was it about he and Maura? Probably not because then he would have cuffed himself to her instead of to Jane.

Her eyes popped open. She had just realized a reason why Giovanni may have cuffed them together. The next question that she had to ask herself though was, why did that reason fill her with both hope and dread.

oOOOOo

Giovanni was pretty sure that the pain he was in wasn’t good. Not good at all. At first he’d thought it was something he’d eaten. But not now. He collapsed to his knees as another wave of pain hit him. “Gonna smothah Greg-o.”

He slowly made his way over to the phone’s handset and punched in three numbers.


	4. Chapter 4

Jane woke with a start. Someone was draped over her and she knew it wasn’t Casey because he never spooned. She slowly moved her head and a smile came to her lips. Maura. She looked like a normal human being when she slept, not like the genius that she was when she was awake. The smile slipped just a bit, they were still handcuffed together. No handcuff fairy had come during the night and unlocked them.

Maura’s eyes slowly blinked open and she met Jane’s gaze. “Oh, you’re awake. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“You did.”

Maura rolled onto her back and Jane did the same. “I apologize for the.. you were having a nightmare and I could think of no other way to calm you down.”

Jane looked away, “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you did I? I think I tend to flail.”

Maura pulled at the cuffs a little until Jane looked over at her, “You would never hurt me Jane-- even, even if you were possessed by, by an ancient King-god.”

Jane raised her eyebrows at Maura, “Are you planning on making me breathe in ancient dust from a mystical coffin then?”

Maura smiled and then stared back up at the ceiling. “I believe I know why Giovanni did this to us.”

Jane sat up and Maura followed suit. They sat shoulder to shoulder, their backs against the headboard. “Okay. Why?”

“I think. Do you remember when we implied to him that we were more than just friends, that we were a couple. I think he must think that we’ve broken up, or are having trouble, or something along those lines.”

Jane frowned a bit, “He’s trying to get us together-- like together together?”

“Or, I could be mistaken. This isn’t really my bailiwick Jane.”

Jane sighed, “No, no, you’re probably right and, I’m sorry.”

Maura turned to Jane, “Why?”

“Because I’m the one that got this all started.” Jane blew out a breath.

“I’ve always meant to ask you. Why did you do that?”

Jane tried to pull away and was reminded that they were still connected. “You didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but didn’t want to go out with him either.”

“But, there were other ways to do it Jane.”

“I--” Jane shrugged, “It was what popped into my head.”

They both fell silent for a bit as the early morning started turning into the normal morning hours. It was Maura who finally broke the silence, “Jane-- do you think I’ll ever find someone who will put up with me? If even BT wouldn’t…”

Jane grasped Maura’s handcuffed hand with her own handcuffed hand, “Put up with you? You’re brilliant, and funny and one of the most honorable people I know Maura. You mean love you.”

Maura shook her head, “No. Jane, there have been those who have loved me. But, they also couldn’t stand me-- my… eccentricities. I always say the wrong thing, and my understanding of pop culture has some-- gaping holes in it, and… I could go on.”

“Well, I love you and can stand you.”

“Jane, I know, and I love you too, but that’s not exactly what I mea--”

Jane cut Maura off, “See, one of the things that you do to me is make me think. So, I was thinking, why did I make up that story.” She shook her head, “‘Course, my first thought was, I should ask Maura, she’d know. But… okay. Way back when there was this show, I remember-- like, nothing about it, but this. I guess there was a story that a long time ago everyone had four legs. Two heads. But then the gods threw down all sorts’a stuff and everyone got split in two. So, then we were like we are, everyone had two legs, one head, but also, everyone was looking for their other half, literally, ‘cause they shared the same soul. So, I mean…”

Maura frowned, “Plato’s Symposium, yes. I…”

Jane held up her free hand, “Look, I’m an idiot, and a Rizzoli, and you’ve seen how well that went with my Dad cheating on my Ma, and running out on her. Not to mention I’m a cop, and although it seems like everyone thinks I’m a raging homosexual, I’ve always been, or thought I was, or… I’ve never been with a woman.”

Maura spoke, but so softly that Jane couldn’t hear her. “What?”

Maura spoke again, “I have. Been with a woman.”

“In college?”

Maura cleared her throat, “Ah, no. Here. Soon after we met actually. A one night thing, and… I guess that’s it. I’m not saying…”

Jane kissed Maura silent. Maura was so stunned that at first her brain froze and Maura Dorthea Isles’ brain never stopped working. But, even as her brain shut down her body responded with passion to Jane’s own. Passion she hadn’t felt for years and years.

When they finally parted Jane brushed a lock of hair out of Maura’s eyes. It was a motion that she’d done before, when they were getting ready for some hoighty toighty night or other, but, suddenly it felt entirely different. “DId I just screw up everything?”

“No. You’re a very good kisser, my, uh, my… levels have risen.”

“Crap Maura, did I just break you.”

Maura shot Jane a look, then smiled, “Oxytocin and Dopamine levels. And all twelve of my cranial nerves sent extraordinary signals to my brain.”

Jane smiled, brought their cuffed hands to her lips and kissed Maura’s hand. “There she is--”

Maura frowned, “Are you sure that you want to do this Jane, you’re…”

“Maura, can we just not talk yet? I’m really not complicated, I’m simple. I want to catch bad guys, eat good food, keep good company.”

“No talking yet, check… but, what about, other endeavours?”

“Endeavours?”

“Yes, it means--”

Jane pushed Maura down against the bed with a twinkle in her eye and spoke right before she kissed Maura, “Less talking--”


	5. Chapter 5

“Uh, you’ah hawt.”

The doctor who had entered Giovanni’s curtained off area regarded her patient for a moment. “And you were quite feverish Mr. Gilberti. Try not to swallow any more keys, does that sound doable?”

Giovanni looked up, “You’ve got the key? Thank gahd-- Jane won’[t kill me.”

The doctor took her hand from her pocket and held up the key. “Freshly sterilized. I hope this Jane was worth the pain.”

“No.. no,” He tried to sit up, but winced with pain, “She’s just my-- we grew up togethah and she was bein’ a dickwad ‘bout somethin’. Ah, but, is there’a phone to call them on?”

oOOOOo

Maura slowly woke and realized that she and Jane were in the exact same position that they’d been in the last time she’d woken up, except for their current lack of clothes.

Jane’s phone rang and she groaned, “If that’s Korsak.”

Maura reached across Jane and lifted the phone. They both frowned at the caller ID, Mass Gen. Jane took it from Maura and answered it. “Rizzoli.” She let out a breath, “G-- what’s-- oh… yes, of course, we’ll be there.” Jane sighed, “You’re always-- hilarious Giovanni, but don’t use ‘em all up on me.”

She listened for another moment before she ended the call, “Apparently the key didn’t make it through. Giovanni’s at the hospital. Wanted to know if we could bring him home.”

“He’ll give us the key?”

Jane looked over her shoulder, “Oh, no, no… We’re going to unlock the cuffs and then he gets to keep the key and the cuffs.”

“Jane.”

Jane sat up and helped Maura to sit as well, “Please Maura, for once I just want to-- just give me until tonight. To-- find an answer, or hell, the right question.”

Maura shook her head and stood, “No. I know the answer.”

Jane stood, “You always do.”

“It’s called the Kinsey scale. Zero is entirely heterosexual. Six is entirely homosexual.”

Jane interrupted Maura, “Oh, like the movie Kinsey, with Qui-Gon Jinn guy in it. That was a real thing? I thought it was fiction. It was a weird movie.”

“As I was saying--”

Jane gave Maura a sheepish smile, “Sorry-- Doctor Isles..”

That brought a reflexive smile to Maura’s face, “You rarely call me that anymore… Detective Rizzoli.”

Jane chuckled, “Yeah, only when I want to remind people they shouldn’t screw with my ‘smarter than them and everyone they’re ever gonna meet’ friend. Okay, so… Mr. Kinsey?”

“Basically he thought that humans weren’t simply straight or gay, that there were gradations between only heterosexual and only homosexual. Of course, with time, now there are many scientists who believe that his scale, while a good start, is a much too simplistic way to look at our sexuality, that there are other parts to it, like our biological sex, not to mention our gender identity--” Maura paused, “Jane, you can stop me at any point.”

During Maura’s explanation Jane had clasped Maura’s hand again, “Why?”

“Because I believe I may be rambling. We should pick up Giovanni.”

“He’ll keep.” Jane paused, “Well, I know that I have two Xes, and except for a few years when I was very young I’ve always enjoyed being a woman. So, with this --scale?” Jane looked at Maura, who nodded, “Basically I thought I was a zero, but maybe I’m a one or a two?”

“Yes, according to Kinsey’s work. You’re most like a one, two or three.”

“Feeling better?”

Maura frowned, “Better? Oh, that’s why you let me speak, ramble on, you thought it was what I needed.” Maura kissed Jane, “Thank you.”

“So. I have a plan. Today we pick Giovanni up. Get uncuffed. Maybe solve a murder. Tomorrow we go to work, come back here or my apartment, go about our lives. We keep doing what we’ve been doing, but with more--”

“Kissing?”

Jane smirked and took a step towards the bathroom, “I was thinking sex, but, sure, we can go nineteen fifties too.”

“Jane-- are you sure?”

The twinkle didn’t leave the brunette’s eyes, “That I wanna kiss you? Well, you are hawt--” Maura sighed and Jane went from smirking to serious as she took Maura’s free hand with her own, “Sorry. I don’t really know Kinsey from Joey. I don’t know if this makes me straight but in love with you, or if it makes me a lesbian, or bisexual, or maybe from the planet Alpha Centurai.”

Maura interrupted, “It’s not a--”

“Shush, I’m trying to-- look, all I know is that it has never felt --right with anyone that I’ve been with. I don’t mean in bed, that part has always been good, great with almost any of the guys. But when I woke up with your arms around me, it felt-- something clicked in my brain. It was like when I learned to ride a bike. My father took off the training wheels and for weeks I fell off and fell off and fell off and then one afternoon, it wasn’t any different from the previous afternoons, and yet, it suddenly all made sense, and I was riding with no training wheels.”

“The men were the training wheels?”

Jane chuckled, then kissed Maura, “Good metaphor?” Maura nodded and Jane gave her another tug, “Practice makes perfect?”

Maura shook her head, though it was with a smile, “Is the proper sports reference that you’re a-- rookie?”

Jane laughed as they slipped into the bathroom.

oOOOOo

“He asked you out? You said no.”

Doctor Alana Curry cleared her throat, “Ah, actually, I-- sort of said-- yes.”

The nurse sighed, “Alana-- really, he’s so--”

Alana smiled, “Perfect? I signed him out. I’m not his doctor and--”

The nurse held up a hand, “Just make sure you prepare yourself for heartbreak. He seems like a player--”

Alana shrugged as a blonde and brunette approached. The brunette spoke, “Giovanni Gilberti?”

Alana tilted her head to one side, “The Detective and hot Doctah?”

Jane rolled her eyes, “Yes. We’d appreciate the key to his cuffs.”

Alana gestured down the hall, “He wanted to give it to you himself.” She glanced down at the handcuffs, “Perhaps so you won’t press charges?”

Jane shook her head, but it was Maura who spoke, “We simply want to be out of the handcuffs, we won’t be pressing charges.”

“Huh-- he must be a good friend then.”

Jane paused as they got to Giovanni’s room, “We have a--”

Maura finished Jane’s thought, “Complicated relationship.”

They entered, “Janie… Doc.”

“G-- the key.”

He reached over to the table and handed it to Maura. She unlocked her cuff, then Jane’s. Jane took the cuffs and key and put them on the bedside table. “What were you thinking G?”

Giovanni shrugged, “Wasn’t I guess-- I paid though didn’t I--”

Jane stared at Giovanni for a long moment. Maura put a hand on Jane’s shoulder and Jane sighed, “Do you need anything Giovanni? Ride home?”

Giovanni smirked and sat up, “You two don’t wanna be alone?”

Jane put a finger on Giovanni’s forehead and pushed him back down to the bed. “Don’t push it Gilberti…”

He smiled, “Nah-- I’ll be fine Janie…”

Jane’s phone rang. It was Korsak. “We should get back to the case, but G--”

He held up a hand, “I’ll only use ‘em for good, not evil-- I sweah.”

Jane answered her phone, “Rizzoli. Yeah, yeah, no-- she’s with me.” Jane paused, “You’re hilarious Korsak. We’re on our way.”

She whacked Giovanni on the thigh just a bit too hard, “Call my Ma when you get outta here okay?”

He gave a nod and the two women left the room, “You haven’t changed ya mind have ya Lanna?”

Alana smiled, “Not yet. Doctor Randolph should be in soon to sign you out.” She paused, “And tell you to never eat a key again.”

oOOOOo

Jane got into the driver’s side of her car and Maura slid into the passenger side. “What does Korsak have?”

Jane sighed as she started the car, “Another body.”

Maura reached across the center console and gripped Jane’s right hand. “Jane, we’ll find this killer just like the others.”

“Of course we will, that, I never thought differently.” Jane looked down at their hands, “We’re not cuffed anymore you know.”

Maura took her hand back, “Oh, I didn’t even think about work.”

Jane smiled and caught Maura’s hand again as she started the car, “See, now you’ve got proof that this is a real thing. You didn’t analyze.” She paused, “As for work, you gotta be the one to break it to the lab gremlin or Susie’ll kill me for taking you off the market.”

Maura frowned, “Susie Chang? Why?”

Jane glanced over at Maura, “She has a crush on you Maur--”

“Ah, of course. And do you plan on being open about us with your fellow Detectives?”

Jane pulled the car up to the scene and put it in park, then turned towards Maura, “That depends on you.”

Maura was silent. She understood what Jane was asking and she wasn’t going to rush her decision on the matter. Finally she brought Jane’s hand to her lips and kissed it. “I can see no logical reason to keep this from anyone. Let the world know.”

Jane and Maura got out of the car and started towards the police tape. Jane had a thought and laughed mostly to herself. Maura glanced over, “You find something humorous?”

“Yeah. My Ma’s gonna love this, us.”

Maura frowned for a heartbeat and then understanding dawned on her face, “Ah, yes, the ‘Doctor in the family’.” She paused, “And your brothers?”

Jane smirked as they ducked under the yellow tape, “I can beat ‘em both up. And they already love ya…” She stopped at the open front door of the house and took a deep breath. “Right. So. Let’s solve these murders.”


End file.
